1726-27. Anne 13. Geo. I. it, before we had engag'd both France and Holland in the Danger and Expence of that Quarrel, who have, at least, an equal Concern with us, in the Suppreffing of the Oftend Trade. And as to the Danger of an Invasion in favour of the Pretender, fuch early Measures had been taken to defeat it, that he hoped by this Time, it was pretty well over: But that befides the glaring Appearances of Enmity to his Majefty, and of Favour and Countenance to the Pretender's Friends, at the Courts of Vienna and Madrid, his Majesty had fuch undoubted and concurring Evidence of a form'd Defign to invade his Dominions, that it had been_the_moft unpardonable Want of Duty, and a criminal Supineness in his Ministers, not to take all poffible Precautions against it. And, as to any Measures that had been taken many Years ago, and to which another Member afcribed the Convulfions which now threaten the Tranquility of Europe, he was not at all concern'd in thofe Measures; and fo could fay nothing to them ; neither were, indeed, fuch remote and groundless Caufes a proper Subject for their prefent Confideration.' An Addrefs refolv'd on, and prefented. The Addrefs. At last, the Question being put upon Mr Onflow's Motion, it was carried in the Affirmative, by 251 Voices against 81; and a Committee was appointed to draw up an Address accordingly, which was the next Day reported and agreed to. January 19. The House prefented the fame to his Majesty, as follows: Moft Gracious Sovereign, WE E your Majesty's moft dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great-Britain in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty our humbleft Thanks for your most Gracious Speech from the Throne. The Communication, which your Majefty has been pleafed to make, of the Proceedings and Tranfactions in Europe for fome Time past, and of the Engagements entered into between the Emperor and the King of Spain, is an Inftance of your Majefty's fingular Goodnefs, in being as defirous to give your People all reasonable Satisfaction, you have ever been folicitous for their Good and • Welfare. 6 as We are very fenfible of the fatal Tendency of the fud⚫ den and unaccountable Conjunction between those two Crowns; and as this Nation has always looked with jealous Eyes upon the very Beginning of every Attempt made by their Neighbours to establish a Commerce, at the Hazard and to the Prejudice of our undoubted Rights and Privileges; We cannot but be greatly alarmed to fee these Incroachments upon our Trade, and notorious Infractions · of ⚫ of Treaties, accompanied with a Scheme of Greatnefs that Anno 13. Geo. I. 6 lays the Foundation of a most exorbitant Power, which, <if not timely opposed, and withstood with Vigour and Refolution, may become formidable to all Europe, and enable the Aggreffors, without Controul, to maintain their un⚫ warrantable Attempts. Nor can we at all doubt of the Spirit and Design of this new Friendship and Alliance, when we see it cemented by mutual Obligations for fupporting one of the Contracting < Powers in the unjustifiable and ufurped Exercise of the Of tend Trade, at the fame Time that a peremptory Demand is made and infifted upon by the other, for the Reftitution of Gibraltar, a Place of fuch Importance to the Trade of this Kingdom. But the Confideration that creates the higheft Refent<ment in your faithful Commons is, to fee that whenever the Ambition of Foreign Princes leads them to afpire and grafp at exorbitant Power, or to acquire and poffefs themfelves of any valuable Rights and Privileges belonging to ⚫ the Subjects of your Majefty and your Allies, all Guaran◄ tees, and the most folemn Engagements of Faith and Gratitude to your Majefty, purchased by the Blood and Treafure of this Nation, are cancelled and forgot; and it is vainly imagined that your Majefty muft either tamely fubmit to, and patiently acquiefce under, the greatest Indigni⚫ties and Injuries to your Crown and People, or be infulted ⚫ with Menaces and Projects in favour of a Popish Pretender. But your Majefty's loyal, faithful, and affectionate Sub3jects, the Commons of Great Britain, fenfible of the inefti⚫mable Bleffings they enjoy under your Majesty's most graci ous and happy Government, have too great a Regard to the • Honour and Dignity of your Crown, and too much Ab⚫ horrence and Deteftation of an abjured Pretender, to suf• fer these vain Terrors to have any ill Effect upon their Minds or Deliberations. "It is with Indignation that we see this injurious Treat<ment and these provoking Infults; and it is with an unfhaken Fidelity and Refolution, that we are determined, with our Lives and Fortunes, to ftand by and support your Majesty against all your Enemies. We muft, at the fame time, with all Gratitude, acknowledge your Majefty's Wisdom and Vigilance, in • ftrengthening your felf with the Alliance of Powers united ⚫ in Intereft, and best able to withstand the impending Danger, and to fupport the Common Caufe of Europe. 6 We fee, with the greatest Satisfaction, the Naval Power of Great-Britain appearing in diftant Regions, in its proper Luftre, so usefully and wifely employed to carry Safety and 1726-27. 1726-27. Anne 13. Geo. I. and Protection to your own Subjects and to your Allies, and 'to curb and restrain the boafted Projects of the Disturbers ' of the Peace of Europe. The King's AnAwer thereto. And as we cannot but look upon the Measures and Re⚫ folutions concerted and taken in Oppofition to, and in De⚫ fiance of the most folemn Treaties, as tending to an imme. diate Rupture, We humbly befeech your Majetty, that ⚫ you will be pleafed forthwith to give the neceffary Orders for putting this Kingdom into a Pofture of Defence; and we affure your Majefty, That we will not only cheerfully • and effectually raise the Supplies neceffary for the present • Exigency of Affairs, but will fupport your Majefty in making good your Engagements with your Allies, in preferving the Balance of Power in Europe, in defending the pre• fent Poffeffions of the Crown of Great-Britain, in fupporting the Trade of this Nation against all unjustifiable and ⚫ pernicious Incroachments, and in defeating and confounding ⚫ all Attempts that shall be made in Favour of the Pretender, and for the Deftruction of our Religion, Liberties, and Properties. • And that all, who wish well to the Peace and Quiet of your Majesty's Government, may have the Satisfaction to fee, that our prefent Neceffities fhall make no Interruption in the Progrefs of that defirable Work of gradually dif charging the National Debt, we will confider of the most proper Methods for immediately applying the Produce of the Sinking Fund, to the Uses for which it was fo wifely contrived, and to which it stands now appropriated; and will repofe fuch a Truft and Confidence in your Majesty as the publick Utility fhall require, and as your Majefty fhall • find reafonable and neceffary for carrying on the great • Work in which your Majefty is engaged, for the Intereft • and Security of your People, and the common Cause of Europe.' ' 66 66 To this Addrefs the King return'd the following Answer. Gentlemen, IR Return you my Thanks for this very Dutiful and Loyal Addrefs: The juft Sense you have exprefs'd of the pre"fent Posture of Affairs in Europe, and the hearty Affurances you have given me of your Support in defending my Pof"feffions and the Rights and Privileges of my People, as they are Evidences of your known Zeal and Affection to my Perfon and Government, I am perfuaded they will con"firm the Spirit and Vigour of my Allies, and convince my "Enemies how vain and ill-grounded all their Expectations are, of being able to fucceed in any Attempts to disturb the 66 66 Peace "Peace of Europe, and in offering Injuries and Infults to Anno 13. Geo. i. this Nation. January 20. In a Committee of the whole Houfe his Majesty's Speech was taken into Confideration, and a Motion that a Supply be granted to his Majefty was unanimously agreed to. Jan. 21. Mr Farrer, from the Committee of the whole House, reported the preceding Day's Refolution for a Supply, which was agreed to Nem. Con. and it was refolv'd, to addrefs his Majefty for the ufual Eftimates for the Year 1727. 3726-27. A Supply voted. of fome Letters, refolv'd on. Jan. 23. The Commons refolv'd to addrefs his Majefty for the Acceffion of the States General to the Treaty of Addrefs to the Hanover, together with the feparate Articles, if there were King for Copies any; as alfo for the Copies of fuch Memorials, and Letters Memorials, &c. with the Anfwers thereto, as paffed between his Majefty's Minifters, and the Courts of Vienna and Spain, fince the Communication of the Treaty of Peace between the Emperor and the King of Spain, to his Majefty, by the Emperor's Minifter: But a Motion being made by Sir William Wyndham, and the Queftion put, to addrefs his Majefty, for a Motion for feveral Copy of the Memorial prefented to the King of Sweden, by others rejected. Mr Poyntz, his Majefty's Envoy Extraordinary, relating to the Acceffion of the Crown of Sweden to the Treaty of Hanover, dated at Stockholm the 4th of June, 1726: As also another Motion being made by Mr Pulteney, and the Question put, to address his Majefty, for the Secret Offenfive Alliance between the Emperor and the King of Spain, both these Questions were carried in the Negative, without Dividing. Debate concern ing the Number of Land Forces Mr H. Pelham. Mr Shippen. Mr Hungerford. Col. Bladen, Jan. 25. The Commons, in a Grand Committee, confider'd farther of the Supply, particularly with Relation to the Land Forces; and Mr Henry Pelham, having fhewn the Neceffity of an Augmentation of about eight Thousand Men, Dragoons and Foot, the fame was warmly oppofed by Mr Shippen, Dr Friend, Sir William Wyndham, Mr Hunger- Dr Friend. ford, and others; who were answer'd by Mr Henry Pelham, Sir W. Wyndham.. Col. Bladen, Sir William Yonge, and General Wade; fo Mr H. Pelham. that it was, at laft, refolv'd by 250 Voices against 85, I. That sir W. Yonge. the Number of effective Men to be provided for Guards, Gen. Wads. Garrifons, and Land Forces for the Year 1727 be, including 1850 Invalids, and 555 Men, which the fix Independent Companies confift of for the Service of the Highlands, 26,383 Men; II. That the Sum of 885,4941. 9s and 4 d. be granted for defraying the Charge thereof. These Resolutions, being the next Day reported, were agreed to by the House. Jan. 27. Copies and Tranflations of feveral Memorials, Letters, &c. relating to the Courts of Vienna and Spain, were laid before the House, and order'd to lie on the Table after Anno 13. Geo. 1. 1726-27. 6 after which, in a Grand Committee, the Commons confider'd of Ways and Means to raise the Supply, and Sir Robert Walpole having fhew'd the Neceffity of laying four Shillings Sir R. Walpole's in the Pound on Land, the fame was oppofed by fome MemMotion for a Land- bers, who alledged, That it were more eligible to apply the Pound, which, af- Produce of the Sinking Fund towards the present Neceffities; ter fome Debate, but the Queftion being put upon Sir Robert Walpole's Motion, it was refolv'd in the Affirmative, by 190 Voices against 81, which Resolution, being the next Day reported, was agreed to by the House. Tax of 4 s. in the is agreed to. Mr Sandys's Motion for a Copy of the Letter, on which the K. of Spain of Gibraltar. 6 February 6. Mr Sandys moved, That an humble Address be prefented to his Majefty, that he would be graciously founds his Demand pleased to communicate to this House, Copies of the Declaof the Reftitution ration, Letter, or Engagement, which in the Marquifs de Pozobueno's Letter to the Duke of Newcastle of the 21ft of December laft, is afferted to be a pofitive Promife, upon which the King of Spain founds his peremptory Demand for the Reftitution of Gibraltar, which had been fo folemnly yielded to the Crown of Great-Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht, and was afterwards confirm'd and granted to GreatBritain by the King of Spain's Acceffion to the Quadruple Alliance. This Motion was feconded, and ftrenuously fupported by Sir William Wyndham, Mr Hungerford, and alfo by Mr William Pulteney, who took Notice of a Letter, Written in 1721, to one of the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries at Cambray, wherein a Promise for the Restitution of Gibraltar was exprefly mention'd:' But they were oppos'd by Mr Henry Pelham, Mr Thomas Broderick, Mr H. Walpole, and Sir Robert Walpole. The latter did not disown, Debate thereon. Sir W.Wyndham. Mr. Hungerford. Mr H. Pelham. Addrefs for Papers relating to the Imperial OftendCompany. That fuch a Promife might indeed have been made in a former Administration; but this he was fure of, that if there was fuch a Promife, it was upon certain Conditions, which, not having been perform'd within the limited Time, was thereby become invalid; and as for the Declaration or Letter, the Communication of which was infifted on, the fame was altogether impracticable and unprecedented; the private Letters of Princes being almost as facred as their very Perfons.' Then the previous Question being put, whether the Question upon Mr Sandys's Motion fhould be put? It was carried in the Negative, by 204 Voices against 97. The Reader will find a Copy of this Letter in the APPENDIX. Feb. 7. The Commons refolv'd to address his Majefty for Copies of fuch Memorials and Representations, as have been made to the Court of Vienna, concerning the Charter granted to the Oftend Company, with the Anfwers thereto : After the Fleet fent into which, the Lord Morpeth mov'd, "That another Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, that he would be graciously pleafed to direct Copies to be laid before this House, of all Lord Morpeth's Motion relating to the Baltick laft Year. Debate thereon. fuch |